1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and an irradiator.
2. Related Art
One example of an image recording apparatus is an ink jet printer (hereinafter, printer) that includes a head on which nozzles that discharge ink that is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays (electromagnetic waves) are provided. In the case of such a printer, there is a concern that the ultraviolet rays that are irradiated from an ultraviolet irradiation unit are reflected by a recording medium and the like, and the reflected ultraviolet rays reach a nozzle face of the head. In such a case, the ink at nozzle openings may be thickened or cured by the reflected ultraviolet rays, causing clogging of the nozzles.
Therefore, a method of arranging the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the head with a predetermined gap therebetween so that the reflected ultraviolet rays do not reach the nozzle face of the head has been proposed (for example, refer to JP-A-2004-284141).
However, with the method described in JP-A-2004-284141, the gap between the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the head increases, causing an increase in the size of the printer.